Building unit



A. H. WICK BUILDING UNIT Feb. 13, 1934.

Filed July 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0r To @MSK A. H. wlcK BUILDING UNIT Feb. 13, 1934.

Filed July 29, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /A/VENTOR.' AMBER? ff. W/c-K.

`30 building with parts of the Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNi'rE sr'rss PATENT OFFICE l1,946,560 VnuntnrNG UNIT 'Albert H. Wick, St. Louis, Mo. Apgiisatmn .iuiy 2e, 1932. .serial No. 625,925 1 claim. (ol. 'z2-115) My invention has relation to improvements in building units used in connection with building construction, and it consists of the novel features more fully set forth in the specification and 5 pointed out in the claims.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a method of constructing buildings wherein a special building unit is utilized to facilitate the fabrication of various parts of the building prelO. vious to the erection thereof on the building site.

The advantage of partially assembling the building before shipping the material to the building location is that much time may be saved in the actual erection as most of the detail construction 151 is done at the factory or fabricating plant. A further object of the invention is to provide a method of building construction wherein a special building unit is utilized to insure a rigid and durable construction. In addition to the erec- 201 tion of a building embodying great strength the special unit that l have provided is adapted for buildings having almost any type of exterior wall construction, such as shingle siding, stucco, or brick veneer, etc. These advantages, as well as others inherent in the invention will be better apparent from a detailed description thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a wall and roof broken away to show the various structures of elements, such as sills, studdings, joists and rafters for which my improved building unit is used; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2 2 35, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through a series of studding members showing the outside sheathing boards attached thereto; Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-seci0Y tion through connecting walls; Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section through an outside corner of the building; Fig. '7 is a detail showing how two of my improved building units are welded together when one is used as a sill and the other as a studding member; Fig. 8 is a combined crosssection and perspective of my improved building unit; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the wood elements entering into the construction of said building unit.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figures 8 and 9, A represents my improved building unit or structural member utilized throughout the erection of the building B embodying my improved construction. The unit A comprises a pair of metallic channel members 1, 1, each of which has oppositely disposed right-angled flanges 2, 2 terminating in inwardly extending terminal portions 3, 3. The web 4 of each channel member lis provided with a plurality of perforations o for the purposeV of reducing the weight of the member and at the same time serving to provide passageways for piping and electric wiring necessary to the building. The members 1, l are secured together, preferably by spot- Welding the abutting webs at 5, 5, as shown in Figures '7 and 8. However, before welding the channels 1, 1 together the terminal portions 3, 3 of each channel are disposed in inclined slots 6, 6 of wood strips or rails '7, 7, so that after the channels are secured by Welding the strips '7, '7 70 will be securely held between the opposed rightangled anges 2, 2 of members 1, 1. 'I'here is thus formed a composite metal and wood structural element embodying the general shape and characteristics of an I-beam and at the same time providing solid bodies in the shape of the rails '7, '7 for receiving the nails. Obviously, the rails '7, 7 provide nailing surfaces a, a at the top and bottom and b, b at the sides of the unit A.

The building unit A is utilized throughout the construction of the building for the load-bearing members thereof, such as the sills S, studdings C, floor ioists J, roof joists J and rafters R (Figs. 1 and 2). Obviously, the units A may be of any size, although for ordinary buildings, such as 85. small homes, I prefer that they be 2 x 6 so that when used for studding, as shown, they would provide a 6" space which will give ample space between the inner wall surface and outer wall surface to provide effective insulation. However, both the inside and outside wall covering may be of insulating material, such as may be procured on the market in large sheets and shown in the drawings, particularly Figures 1 and 4. Referring to Figure 4, such an insulating sheet 10 is shown nailed to the outer nailing surface a of each unit A, the sheet being of a width to span four of the studding members. The side edges of each sheet 10 are shiplapped as shown at 1l and 11'. The sheets may have their outer 10o surface covered with a suitable metallic sheeting l2 marked, as indicated at 13, to simulate brick or any other desirable iinish. The metallic sheeting l2 is not essential as in some instances it may be desirable to cover the insulating sheet 10 105 with stucco or brick veneer. The inside of the walls may also be covered with insulating material in the form of sheets 10', or if desired they may have a lath and plaster finish.

However, one of the advantages of the present zo, Y

invention is to utilize such Wall covering as will facilitate the assembling of considerable sections of the building at the factory, and when insulating sheets 10 are used such assembling may be carried out to the utmost extent. For instance, a section of wall comprising four units A, properly spaced to constitute studding members C, are assembled together with the outside sheeting 10 and inside sheeting 10', which section is erected as a unit in its proper place on the job, as are other similarly assembled sections. After the Walls are thus erected they are completely iinished as both the outside and inside covering is already in place. The roof may be factory fabricated in like manner and transported to the job in sections to be erected. The various sections comprising the building having been put in place the building will be practically complete, requiring only such detail finishing operations, such as caulking, etc., as can only be performed after the sections are assembled.

My improved building unit A is especially valuable in erecting buildings in sections, as just described, because it is not subject to warping as V is ordinary lumber.

In Figure 5 I show connecting partition walls W, W' constructed with the aid of my improved building units A. In this view is shown a door casing D secured to the units A utilized in the framing of the door opening.

In Figure 6 I show a corner of the building wherein the units A are utilized as the studding members and the outside wall covering consists of insulating sheets 10, as heretofore described.

It should be apparent yfrom the foregoing that in almost any type of building my improved building units A may be used to advantage and in ordinary frame construction large sections of the building may be factory assembled, after which they are quickly erected on the job.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A structural unit of general I-beam shape comprising a pair of connected metallic members having terminal flanges, a strip of nailable material securely held between said flanges, said strip of nailable material extending beyond the flanges so that the unit is -nailable over the entire extent of its outer surfaces.

ALBERT H. WICK. 

